Great Walks Track Tests Osprey's Transporter Duffel bag.
Experience has taught me that hiking holidays bring an associated risk of backpack damage from the interior workings of airports. Thinking a pack cover will offer enough protection is foolhardy – I’ve had two of them disappear between check-in and destination carousel – so I’ve decided the only solution is a sturdy, well-designed duffel bag. Osprey’s Transporter series is just that.
You’d be hard pressed to poke a hole in the TPU coated 840D nylon (although I’m sure many baggage handlers would see it as a challenge) or rip off one of the four burly grab handles. Probably the most important feature of any duffel is the ability to stuff it so full of hiking equipment that one more ‘waffer-thin mint’ would make it explode. I tried to recreate Mr. Creosote’s volcanic disembowelment with the Transporter, but the (lockable) U-shaped zip always closed without so much as a squeak of complaint. Solid.
The other winning feature of this piece is the shoulder straps. Soft and wide, they stow inside the lid for transport but easily deploy when needed, clipping into place around the hip and, in the larger models, via load lifter straps above the shoulder. With the soft material and chest strap, it really is as comfortable a carry as you could expect.
Available in four sizes – 40L, 65L, 95L and monster 130L. More info click here.
Review_Dan Slater